The Quilt Skipper

quilting makes me skip for joy

Jenny K Lyon

Quilting makes me skip for joy

Post New Car Buying Stress Syndrome-It’s Real People!

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If you can’t decide between a root canal and buying a new car, go with the dentist.

I needed another car. My 10 yr old Acura MDX was in what I call The Second Stage, that stage where it needs multiple things that cost $2500 or so.  I was okay with a leather seat that was so cracked that its innards were visible. I was none too happy that my phone could no longer Blue Tooth with my car but I could live with that. And I could get over the heavily stained floor mats. But when I hit that $econd $tage, it was time to look for another car.

I travel to teach and lecture and at least once a month I’m in my car, driving somewhere that requires GPS to get me to where I’ll be teaching. I need a dependable SUV with GPS. I loved my MDX, but it was time.

I prefer used cars with very low mileage. I have not bought a new car since the very early 80’s. Between my husband, kids and myself we have bought or sold 8 cars through CarMax in 2 states. CarMax rocks-they have an excellent business model. It is a simple, quick process with NO negotiation! But alas, there were zero low-mileage MDX’s in their system in the whole of the US.

So I had to enter into The Land of the AutoMall (cue the ominous music).

It all started so well… I had a wee gap in my calendar. Hubby was out of town but this was my time. I headed to the Acura dealer and wouldn’tyaknowit, they had a pimped-out, low mileage, used MDX! I was ready to buy.

After negotiating, I head down to the dealer to buy (visit #1). But a nagging voice was in my head. This car was loaded with some things I did not care about-rear seat DVD, etc. And the cost differential between new and used was minimal. A quick consult with Hubby and yes, let’s turn this around and buy new. Yes, this was sudden and the salesman was stunned. I walked out without a car, giving me time to think.

That’s when things took a turn-buying a new car. For the first time ever, I decided to get picky about color. I have driven a gray/white/black car for 35 years. Geez, I NEED some color! There are very few choices in car colors now, which is why everyone is driving a gray/black/white car. I wanted blue.

Ah, the dealer has ONE blue MDX with the package I wanted-great! I confirmed our previously negotiated price (visit #2), grabbed all the papers I needed to buy the car, made an appointment and headed on down for visit #3.

Upon arrival, the salesman informs me that the new car that he just confirmed was there, is actually used, with 5,000 miles on it. And he just happened to realize his mistake as I was walking through the door, hence no time to call me to alert me to the issue. Really?? (Switch and Bait-no?)

Sales Guy happens to leave the table after The Bad News. In enters Bad Cop, who throws Sales Guy under the bus-“he should have checked but he didn’t”. All of a sudden we’re dealing with 2 sales people and talking about a used car. I am not prepared with research to negotiate on a used car.

We haggle over price. They advance a program that will lop $1750 off the price if we finance. You see, it’s a “special” offer that Acura has given their dealers to keep the dealers from suing Acura over all the bad airbag cars they’ve got sitting on the lot and can’t sell. Uh huh.

So we go down that bunny trail for awhile and hit yet another roadblock. They can’t title the car in the name we need. It’s getting ridiculous at this point.

We push back from the table, ready to walk. They’re desperate now-what would make you happy? We want the car we walked in the door for. They don’t have that car. Well, can you get it? Let’s check. Okay, why didn’t you do that in the first place?

It turns out there is ONE Blue MDX with my package in all of CA and NV. But they want a commitment from us before they will have it transferred. Say whaaaat? We walk.

In the meantime, I contact a wholesaler-he can match the dealer price without all the financing stuff to get the discount. Great. He works on it but can’t promise the car until after the weekend.

Out of the blue, the other local Acura dealer contacts me based on an internet search I did earlier in the week. He’ll better the price! Within one hour of his phone call he had the car on its way to Sacramento, based only on our phone conversation. Yessss.

We drive to the other side of town (visit #4), meet Nice Sales Guy. Nice dealership with ubiquitous balloons and Pretty Receptionist. Birds are chirping, rainbows and unicorns hang around shiny cars. Our deal gets done, no games.

And then we go to the Closer Guy to sign the docs (cue the ominous music again).

Here’s what closing is like. You wait 45 minutes for Closer Guy. They take you to a padded, soundproof, locked room where there are no unicorns or rainbows and the Pretty Receptionist is gone. They strap you into chairs, tilt them back and shine a bright light into your eyes while slowly dripping water on your forehead. The Bee Gees are playing on a loop.

Closer Guy shoves down your throat discusses all the wonderful, over-priced, high-profit-margin options that are available, just for YOU! Oh and the price of that 10-year extended warranty went down $2,000 in just 2 minutes. Really dude? He would not let up, he was a pit bull. He was angry that we actually would not buy any of it.

We survived Closer Guy and emerged with my car. But seriously, I am suffering from PNCBSS-Post New Car Buying Stress Syndrome and at the moment, I am not even excited about my new car. Why does it have to be like this? I don’t plan to ever buy new again.

Comments

  1. Oh Jenny, been there so many times. My daughter swears by CarMax. We only buy used, same dealer, minimal sales pressure – if you don”t count the fact they only want to sell you the car they want you to have ( based on inventory and FIFO accounting). Still, your summary was so well done and funny. You will laugh about this later (isn’t that what they always say?).

  2. Best story ever! Hubby wants to know if you bought any of the bells & whistles from Closer Guy or did he become Sad Face Guy?

    • Closer guy lost that battle. I kept thinking he must have a personal goal to sell something to every buyer. He was livid-you could see it. I was in sales as an executive headhunter. We were taught to ask 3 times before we accepted no. So I was counting. He went at it EIGHT times and at one point started lobbing missiles at hubby-“So I guess you don’t care if your wife’s paint job fades?”. Really, he said that.

  3. I can sympathize — I’ve had similar experiences with used car dealers, though I’ve never used CarMax. However, my past few cars have been new Toyota Prius models, and I have to say that my dealer has been wonderful about not pressuring me or using bait/switch tactics. A simple “no” to the warranty has been enough — I’ve been really lucky!

      • Not a one in a million…I bought a new Toyota Highlander 2 yrs ago and my experience with the Toyota dealership was incredible! I would buy another Toyota from that dealer any time, but…I dislike their service department so go to a different dealership for in warranty service things. Glad you finally got the car you want!

  4. Thank you! I am facing having to buy a SUV in the near future. I needed this reminder of how to prepare and grid myself for the inevitable!

  5. Twice I was sticking to my guns so tight during car negotiations that my husband left and said ,” call me if you need my signature. “. Got them for my researched price. Hate the games ; next time will use CarMax.

  6. It still amazes me that as you stand there with check in hand that the closer guy doesn’t get it. By the time you have told him no for the 10 time and he is now pouting and still shoving the paperwork in you face.

  7. I only tried once dealing with a retail car salesman. I have gotten all my cars either through a car broker (no charge at my bank!) or at the local used car dealer, who is very honest, and has a policy of no negotiation. But your new car is very pretty :)

  8. My Toyota Echo turns 14 at the end of July. 265,000 km on it by then, I’m thinking…and another year or so before I really should buy a replacement. To date, though, even with the cost of swapping tires twice a year (we have snow here), I’m not spending anything like you spent on your car before you bought again. Most of my driving is highway (last 7.75 years)…not a lot of stop-and-go. I was advised by a mechanic friend to get a new(er) model at 15 years…so that’s what I’m thinking. I will stick with Toyota because the local (Red Deer – 1 hour away) dealership thus far hasn’t steered me wrong (no pun intended)…

    My fear is that it won’t be a *real* car. I don’t want/need Blue Tooth, or phone connections. I drive a standard shift – 5 speed at least. I like to drive my car; I don’t want it to drive me. I want a dashboard that doesn’t look like it belongs in a 747, I don’t care if I have GPS because out here GPS can’t tell the difference between a highway and a rancher’s field. I’d rather use a map (i.e. on paper). I’m only hoping that I can find a car that’s a car…not one that’s a map; not one that’s a stereo; not one that’s a phone. Seems to me that as long as you end up with what you wanted, you did reasonably well. ;-)

    P.S. Mine needs to be red. I want to be seen a) at night; and b) in snow. Hence NEVER black, grey, dark anything, or white. :-)

    • Cars are like sewing machines I think-each person has their own needs. A stripped down manual transmission car would not sell here but I’ll bet that is more normal for your neck of the woods. I do like all my gadgets that keep me on the road to my gigs. And I never thought how important car color might be in the snow! I hope you have a great experience with you purchase.

  9. Wow, so funny. We bought a new car today, too, but had the opposite experience. Walked in with the internet quote, no upselling, exact car, no pitches (except extended warranty we declined once). Considering myself lucky now!

  10. I feel your pain! My husband’s name is James. He goes by James and has his whole life and he always introduces himself as James. Car salesmen (they are always men), without exception, call him Jim. I love getting a new car but hate the process of buying. Way to hang in there and remain strong.
    Bambi

  11. Funny, I went through the same thing with my own “closer guy”. I finally threatened to be sick in his office so he wrapped things up rather quickly ;-).

  12. We always buy new – and I’m impressed you only had to wait 45 minutes for Paperwork Guy – one year we were there approximately 12 hours (that was the year they had the government Cash for Clunkers deal – EVERYONE was trading in their old cars!) Last time it took us around 4 hours. We like our local dealer, and have bought more than one car from them, but I agree, it is excruciatingly boring and stressful at the same time!! So glad that you got just the car you wanted, with minimal stress.

  13. Hi Jenny, no wonder I don’t feel like car shopping. My Honda is over 10 and nothing wrong with it.Do you park your car in the garage or keep junk there? Car matts you can clean with a presure washer. Ann

    • In the garage, always. I do not keep junk, much less keep it in the garage! My car mats were beyond repair-had them pressure washed and they were still grungy. Too many ski trips I suppose! Keep that Honda!

  14. Oh, Jenny. How I feel your pain! The only place we’ve had positive experiences with car shopping, new OR used, has been at Car Max, Mercedes or Lexus. Even when we test-drove, considered trading in a car but didn’t follow through. It’s like a whole different universe, like the salespeople are just there to offer you refreshments and answer any questions. No one tries to SELL you ANYTHING! But unfortunately, luxury makes are no longer in my price range and the Car Max dealer could not find any convertibles in their inventory with low enough mileage and large enough back seats to satisfy my husband… I love my little used Infiniti convertible that I’m driving now, but the experience of buying it from the Infiniti dealer was a NIGHTMARE of EPIC PROPORTIONS!

    • I do not understand why this is. We all hate the new car buying experience and it’s like the industry is stuck in the 80’s except CarMax. Glad you at least got the car you wanted!

  15. Dealerships need to get their act together if they want to keep business up. I had a similar experience in April – from the same dealership that had been so wonderful the last two cars! Apparently it is a phase they are all going through, as I’m not on the same side of the country as you are. My Closer Guy was not as bad as yours, but the experience put a bad taste in my mouth. I go to that dealer primarily to AVOID that kind of stuff, and am thinking of saving and printing your post AND comments. I will hand it to them next
    time around and say “What needs to happen so we can avoid this and I can get a car from you?”
    Thanks for the eye opener!

    • Now that’s a good line-“How can I get the car and avoid all this pain?”. I will remember that for next time-if there is one.